NHTSA Complaint #10244650 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MY 2002 FORD EXPLORERS HOOD IS CORRODING. IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THE FIRST SPOT APPEARED. I REALLY DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST FROM WEAR AND TEAR, BUT THEN 2 MONTHS AGO 2 MORE SPOTS APPEARED. ON 10/3/08 I WENT TO A BODY SHOP TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO PAINT, AND I SURPRISED TO HEAR HIM TELL ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS REALLY A FORD PROBLEM BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE THE HOOD IS MADE OF ALUMINUM AND THE PAINT ISN'T STICKING. THAT SAME DAY, I WENT TO THE FORD DEALER NEAREST TO ME AND I WAS TOLD THAT INDEED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE HOODS AND CONFIRMED WHAT THE GUY AT THE BODY SHOP SAID. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT SINCE MY CAR IS A 2002, 5 YEARS HAS PASSED AND I CANNOT HAVE IT REPLACED FOR FREE. THIS IS UNFAIR. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND NO ONE AT FORD INFORMED US. HAD I KNOWN THAT IT WAS THEIR PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE HAD IT REPLACED WHEN THE FIRST SPOT APPEARED. *TR